Friday, January 23, 2009

Polgar Misrepresentations? Answer: No.

What is the difference between a report and an attack? Here’s an example of a report.

Quote from Susan Polgar:

According to the Chief Financial Officer of the USCF Mr. Joe Nanna, the US Chess Federation under the leadership of President Bill Goichberg, Vice President Jim Berry, Vice President of Finance Randy Bauer, and Executive Director Bill Hall, lost $419,968 in the first 6 months of this fiscal year. With the $374,626 bequests, the federation still lost $45,342 year to date! There are still 6 months left in this fiscal year!

Note the factual nature of the sentence. It states that the USCF lost $419,968 in the first half of the year. Note next how the fact was sourced: “According to the Chief Financial Officer of the USCF Mr. Joe Nanna”. This is how you’re supposed to report the news. Basic Journalism 101.

Now this is an example of an attack:
In RGCP Randy Bauer notes in closing, "I'm truly saddened by Susan's attacks. They do not help US Chess." Indeed. So why is she doing it?

Now as to the issue, let’s cut through the fog. Revenues for the first half are down 9% over the first half of last year. As for projecting the second half, the correct way to do that is to take the historical average of second half gain. Not politician’s spinning; not budgets; but the historical percentage.

As for Susan’s figure $419,968 loss, this came from the reported loss through December adjusted for the special bequests.

Would that the Vice-President for Finance and the rest of Susan’s attackers respond to the substance instead of playing politics. “I’m truly saddened by Susan’s attacks.” I like this. Attack, defense, and evasion – all wrapped up into one simple sentence.

This essay first appeared in ChessUSA.Net and responds to a post there.

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